Confession, Coercion, Procedural Error and the Juror

The current research examined whether mock jurors make differential assessments of guilt of defendants based on inclusion or exclusion of confession evidence and type of coercion to determine if jurors\u27 behavioral reactions to confession evidence could be predicted. Hypotheses addressed effects of various factors on jurors\u27 decisions of verdicts regarding defendants\u27 guilt or innocence and their certainty of these verdicts: inclusion of confession evidence, type of coercion used in obtaining confessions, admissible or inadmissible presentation of confession evidence, and influence of potential predictor variables. Predictor variables assessed included participants\u27 Belief in a Just World, Spheres of Control, New Authoritarianism, and Belief in False Confession Evidence. No main effects were found for participants\u27 first or second verdicts or certainty assessments